Electronic components, particularly microelectronic components such as semiconductor devices (chips), often have a plurality of terminals (also referred to as bond pads, electrodes, or conductive areas). In order to assemble such devices into a useful system (or subsystem), a number of individual devices must be electrically interconnected with one another and/or with other components, typically through the intermediary of a printed circuit (or wiring) board (PCB, PWB) or substrate.
Semiconductor devices are typically disposed within a semiconductor package having a plurality of external connection points in the form of pins, pads, leads, solder balls, and the like. Many types of semiconductor packages are known, and techniques for connecting the semiconductor device within the package include wire bonding, tape-automated bonding (TAB) and the like. In some cases, a semiconductor device is provided with raised bump contacts, and is connected by flip-chip techniques onto another electronic component. The present patent application deals primarily with making wire bond connections between two electronic components.
Due to its superior conductive and non-corrosive characteristics, gold is a "material of choice" for making electrical connections between electronic components. For example, it is well known to make a plurality of wire bond connections between conductive pads on a semiconductor die and inner ends of leadframe fingers.
The present invention advantageously employs wire-bonding equipment in which, generally, wire (e.g., gold wire) is supplied from a spool through a capillary (also referred to as a "bonding head") and is bonded to a substrate (e.g., an electronic component). Generally, the nature of the bonding head will be determined by the nature of the bond to be made thereby. When the bonding head is for making a ball bond, it will generally be a "capillary". When the bonding head is for making a wedge bond, it will generally be a "wedge", these terms having recognized meanings in the art. To simplify matters, in the main hereinafter, the term "capillary" will be employed to indicate a bonding head suitable for making either ball or wedge bonds, applying thermal energy and/or compression during bonding.
To form a traditional wirebonding loop, the capillary bears down upon a terminal of a first electronic component, bonding a free end of a wire thereto, then moves over (i.e., up, over and down) to a terminal of another electronic component, bonding the wire thereto. Then the wire is severed, in preparation for making another wire bond connection. After severing, and prior to making another wire bond connection, it is important to form a ball (broadened region, generally in the shape of a ball) on the free end of the wire projecting from the capillary. To this end, it is known to provide a spark between an electrode and the free end of the wire, which will melt the free end of the wire into a ball shape. Failure to effectively create a ball at the free end of the wire will result in failure to effect a subsequent wire bond. In automated wirebonding facilities, an entire production line can be shut down as a result of failing to produce a ball at the end of the wire. Various mechanisms are known for determining whether a ball has successfully been created at the end of the wire.
The following U.S. patents (cited, when applicable, by patent number, first named inventor, month/year of issue, and U.S. Class/Subclass), incorporated by reference herein, are cited for background purposes.
(a) U.S. Pat. No. 5,110,032 (Akiyama, et al.; 5/92; USCL 228/102), entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WIRE BONDING, discloses wire (13) supplied from a wire spool (12) through a capillary (10). (In this patent, the wire 13 is insulated.) A control unit (20) is shown which includes a CPU (processor) and a memory unit (storage for software commands). The control unit exercises control over movement of the capillary, and over a discharge power circuit (18) which, in conjunction with a discharging electrode (17) is used to sever the wire with a discharge voltage. PA1 (b) U.S. Pat. No. 3,460,238 (Christy, et al.; 8/69; USCL 227/111), entitled WIRE SEVERING IN WIRE BONDING MACHINES, is directed to a technique whereby the wire severing operation in a wirebonder comprises moving the bonding needle (or "capillary", as used herein) with holding pressure sufficient to frictionally engage the wire and insufficient to deform the wire away from the bond area. PA1 (c) U.S. Pat. No. 5,095,187 (Gliga; 3/92; USCL 219/68), entitled WEAKENING WIRE SUPPLIED THROUGH A WIRE BONDER, discloses wire-bonding techniques wherein a wire is bonded to a contact (terminal) on an electronic component by the application of one or a combination of heat, pressure and vibration. This patent discusses weakening or severing the wire by localized application of heat, and how the severing operation may result in a broadened portion on the severed end of the wire. The severing heat may be applied to the wire by means of an electrode from which an electric field can be made to extend to the wire such that an arc is created between the electrode and the wire. This patent describes a severing technique wherein a first portion of the arc is of a first polarity for weakening of the wire, and a second portion of the arc is of a reverse polarity for controlling dispersion of charged particles emitted from the wire. PA1 (d) U.S. Pat. No. 4,955,523 (Carlomagno, et al.; 9/90; USCL 228/179), entitled INTERCONNECTION OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS, discloses a technique for interconnecting electronic components in which interconnection wires are bonded to contacts on a first component (such as a semiconductor die (1)) without the use of a material other than the materials of the contacts and the wires. The wires are then severed to a desired length of between two to twenty times the wire diameter (2d to 20d), and bonded to contacts on a second component (21) by means of a conductive material such as solder. The wires, once bonded to the first component, are severed at their desired length (by the bonding head (9) of a wirebonder) via an aperture (13) in the side wall of the bonding head. To this end, an electrode (51) is inserted into the aperture (13). As shown in this patent, the free-standing wires (7) have their ends inserted into pools (27) of conductive material such as solder in recesses of the second component. See also U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,507 (Carlomagno, et al.; 2/93; USCL 257/777), also entitled INTERCONNECTION OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS.